


Mistakes to Make

by JadedSkylark



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura calls her Katie, College AU, Gen, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, Lance and Keith and Hunk call her Pidge, M/M, Matt and Shiro both are striving to work at NASA one day, Matt calls her Katie, Matt has too many degrees, Shiro only has 3 but he loves his 3, Theyre all high schoolers while Matt and Shiro are 25 like canon and in uni getting doctorates, he was also a child genius, katie skipped grades bc shes a child genius, matt is the ultimate memey nerd w adhd, she/her pronouns for pidge, shes in lance hunk keith and alluras grade, texting au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-23 21:26:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11998278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadedSkylark/pseuds/JadedSkylark
Summary: Matt thought he was texting his sister- he thought he was telling his SISTER about the hot guy who smiled at him as he was walking on campus. He didn't know, however, that his sister's number wasn't exactly how he remembered it. He didn't know, however, that he was texting the VERY wrong number that belonged to someone he didn't even know.Shiro hadn't expected an unknown number to message him only hours after his brother's boyfriend had told him to get out and meet new people. He hadn't expected the other person to be so interesting, and he hadn't expected to want to get to know the stranger so soon after first meeting him.Neither knew that one wrong number text, one small mistake, would change their lives so drastically or so quickly. Neither knew the person on the other side of the phone was someone they would soon care for more than anything else.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hellooooo, I know I start a whole lot of fics and never write much on any of them, but I have some time and I have the energy to write, so have a new fic!!!
> 
> Italic is Matt, Bold is Shiro

_[12:47 PM] KATIE I JUST SAW A HOT GUY AND HE SMILED AT ME_  
_[12:47 PM] Also stop deleting your number out of my phone You know I have shitty memory_  
_[12:47 PM] BUT THIS GUY HE SMILED AT ME HE WAS A DILF KATIE A DILF AND HE SMILED AT ME_

 

Matt stared at the screen, determined to not look up from it ever again. He'd made eye contact with what had to be the hottest guy on campus and nearly had a small heart attack in that single moment. He had looked up from his phone, made eye contact with a hot guy, and the hot guy had smiled at him- Matt's heart still hadn't stopped thudding hard in his chest. His thoughts were racing a mile a second, and he was starting to worry about why Katie wasn't responding.

And then his phone vibrated.

Matt's eyes shot to the message Katie had sent back.

 

**[12:51 PM] I'm sorry! I think you have the wrong number. My name isn't Katie, but can I ask what a DILF is?**

 

That wasn't Katie. Matt felt his blood run. This person didn't know what a DILF was- Matt could have just messaged a 12 year old and not realized that. What if the cops were on his tail right now because he'd introduced a kid to the world of DILFs? Matt could have messaged an old woman who had no idea what he was talking about. What if she looked it up and texted him back about how he should find a better thing to call hot guys. Matt stopped in his tracks and stared at the screen, quickly typing out what had to be the worst reply he could think of.

 

_[12: 56 PM] how old even are you if you don't know what a DILF is???_

 

There. That wasn't weird, not at all. Then again, this was a wrong number text. Those usually did end up weird, and for all Matt knew, the person on the other side could be messing with him. Wrong number texts sometimes could be funny because one person would mess with the other. Maybe that was all this person was doing. Maybe- Matt's phone vibrated in his hand and his eyes darted to the message.

 

**[12:59 PM] Oh, I'm 25. I was just messing with you, is all! Good for you, though! It's always good when a cute guy smiles at you.**

 

If Matt could find a way to murder someone through the phone, he probably would have in that moment. Well, he wasn't really that mad. He was mostly just irritated that he had a minor freak out because he had thought he texted a 12 year old. Instead, he had messaged someone his age who wanted to mess around with him. Now that he thought about it, that was honestly something he would do to someone, so he couldn't blame the guy. And he commended Matt for the cute guy smiling at him, too...

He huffed softly, still staring at the phone. How did someone even respond to that anyway? With a 'Thanks! I love when cute guys smile at me because I'm gay!”? Yeah, that was only a response to people like his sister or one of his close friends. Matt hadn't talked to someone new in so long that figuring out how to respond was taking longer than responding ended up taking. Finally, Matt shot back a message before shoving his phone in his pocket and making his way to the nearest coffee shop for his daily caffeine fix.

 

_[1:12 PM] thanks?? sorry about messaging you i thought you were my little sister, but I guess I mixed up the numbers. Haha_

 

Just as Matt walked up to the counter, he felt his phone vibrate as another message came through. He shrugged it off and ordered his coffee, managing, somehow, to find a free table in the cafe to study at. It wasn't until he'd pulled out all the books he needed and his laptop that he finally checked his phone. Matt was, honestly, surprised to see another message from the unknown number. It wasn't that he minded really. It was just a little awkward for him because he never knew how to end a conversation himself.

 

**[1:19 PM] Hey, it's okay! Getting to mess with someone gave me a little bit of a relief from the stress of classes this semester.**

 

Matt blinked in surprise. He'd texted a fellow 25 year old college student? What was this, some kind of chapter 1 type set up for a bad, gay fanfiction? Was he meant to get to know this person, become their friend, and slowly fall in love with them? What if this was a girl, though? It wouldn't be gay then, but Matt really hoped that he wasn't still in a fanfiction if they person was a girl. He was way too gay to be forced into a fanfiction subplot where he, a gay guy, fell in love with a girl. It just wouldn't work no matter how hard the writer tried.

With a small groan, Matt dropped his head onto the table. This wasn't a fanfiction, though. Obviously it was his actual life and not a fanfiction where he was forced into a relationship with some girl he met through a wrong number. He didn't even know anything about the other person, anyway, so what did it matter what their gender was? With a small sigh, Matt lifted his head again to respond.

 

_[1:32 PM] at least someone got relief from college life stress I still get to deal with that_

 

Being friendly was a good idea, right? Sure, he didn't know the person, but... being friendly was always a good thing to try to do. Maybe, even if this was real life and not a fanfiction, he could even become friends with this person. It beat only ever talking to one of his two classmates he actually liked and his sister.

 

**[1:34 PM] You're in college too? That's ironic.**

 

_[1:34 PM] ur telling me even more ironic is you're the same age as me_

 

**[1:35 PM] Now that is ironic!**

**[1:35 PM] My name is Takashi, by the way. But most people call me Shiro.**

 

Matt nearly dropped his phone. So this was a guy, yes, but he hadn't expected to find that out so quickly, and he sure as hell hadn't expected to find out this stranger's name so quickly. This couldn't possibly be real life. No one ever found out some stranger's name this quickly. _Though,_ the voice in the back of Matt's head said, _this could be some creeper who just told him a fake name_.

 

“Thanks, tiny voice,” Matt muttered under his breath, looking back to his phone.

 

_[1:38 PM] im matt so you said youre a univ student what are you going for?_

 

**[1:41 PM] Nice to meet you, Matt! I have an Aircraft Operations degree and an Aviation degree already, but I'm going for my Doctorate in Aerospace Engineering now.**

**[1:41 PM] What about you?**

 

_[1:41 PM] holy shit_

_[1:42 PM] im actually getting my doctorate in physics now but I have a bachelors in physics and a bachelors in geology and a masters in astronomy and chemistry im thinking about getting a doctorate in geology too actually_

 

Matt couldn't help it. He loved talking about his education and his degrees. He was honestly surprised at what Shiro (Takashi?) had majored in because it sounded a lot like what potential a NASA pilot would major in. Then again, Shiro could just be the type of person who wanted to know as much as he could about flying in general. Who was Matt to know?

 

**[1:45 PM] Wow! That's cool! What do you plan on doing with those?**

 

_[1:46 PM] i could ask you the same you know_

_[1:46 PM] since we kind of just met and we dont know anything but our names and what were doing in school_

 

**[1:47 PM] Am I being weird? Sorry if I am. My brother's boyfriend has been telling me I should try to get out more and meet new people, and I kind of saw this as an opportunity.**

 

Okay, now Matt felt a little bad for his small jab. He hadn't meant to actually make the guy feel bad about talking to him, he just wasn't sure about taking to a stranger about what he planned to do with his life. But if this guy was actually trying to get to know him and maybe become friends... well, who was Matt to deny that? Matt needed to try to get out and meet more people too, so this was the perfect opportunity for the both of them it seemed.

 

_[1:48 PM] nah!! youre okay I was just teasing you a bit since you did the same earlier :P im going to school to be an astrobiologist for NASA_

 

Yeah, being nice was the way to go. This guy didn't seem like someone who would be too bad to get to know- if he was being truthful with everything he was telling Matt. Matt was sure, maybe, that even if he didn't form a lasting friendship with Mr. Stranger Shiro they could at least be friends in the moment... if that was how this turned out. For all he knew, he would wake up tomorrow and not have a message from Shiro and that would be the end of this. Matt glanced back to his phone as two messages came in at once.

 

**[1:48 PM] I guess now it's my turn to say holy shit**

**[1:48 PM] I'm getting my degrees so I can become a pilot for NASA**

 

_[1:49 PM] youre kidding_

 

**[1:49 PM] Not even a little bit. It's been my dream since I was a kid. There's a pilot at NASA I've always looked up to, and he inspired me when I was a teen to go for my dream and become a pilot as well.**

 

_[1:50 PM] dude my dad is a NASA pilot he loves it honestly thats kind of why I want to work for NASA cause I can get an easy in to the company with dad working there_

_[1:51 PM] plus it's pretty big name everyone knows what NASA is and does_

 

**[1:52 PM] Your dad works for NASA? That's cool, Matt, and really lucky! I'm lucky the pilot I met actually remembers me (and helps me with pilot related questions for school through emails) because I have an in to the company through him. :)**

 

_[1:53 PM] looks like we're both pretty lucky to have our in dudes lol_

 

**[1: 53 PM] Yeah, it looks like we are Lol**

 

Matt chuckled at the message, the smile on his lips forming naturally. He wasn't sure why, but he was having a genuinely good time messaging this guy. It was exciting, and even after his initial hesitation, he liked it. The guy seemed like a cool person, and he didn't feel pressured to talk differently from what he normally did. Even if Matt didn't really know Shiro well, he still felt like maybe he could be himself around him. It was a good feeling getting to meet someone new.

The happy feeling of talking to someone new still didn't relieve Matt's stress of school, though. He finally looked away from his phone long enough to realize he had been texting instead of working on his research paper. Matt's smile dropped instantly as he realized what time it was. He had six minutes before lab started. There went half of his study schedule for the day. He quickly shot a text to Shiro to let him know he had to go before he gathered up his belongings.

 

_[1:54 PM] shit I just realized what time it is I have lab in 6 minutes so I have to go it was cool talking to you shiro!_

 

Matt stuffed his phone and books into his bag, grabbed his untouched coffee, and darted out the door. He checked his watch as he walked across campus, making sure he wouldn't end up late to his lab- again. Matt didn't have a good reputation for being on time around this campus, and all his professors knew it. All his classmates knew it by this point, but Matt hated that he was known for being late. It wasn't his fault he couldn't focus long enough to manage his time correctly.

Well, it probably was his fault, actually.

Matt finally stepped into the classroom a minute early, stopping and bracing his hands against his knees as he caught his breath. He was way too much of a nerd to walk that fast for that long. Matt had never seen a gym before, and he probably should change that if he wanted to not be out of breathe very time he was late for class. He finally caught his breath and stood up straight- only to be met with the chest of his professor.

“Take a seat, Holt,” Professor Jones told him, his voice betraying every ounce of annoyance he held for Matt.

Matt grimaced and made his way to his seat, ignoring the playful nudge from his lab partner. He knew they were just going to tease him for being late to lab again, and eh didn't want to hear it. Instead, he pulled out his phone one last time before class to see more messages from the stranger. He smiled softly, quickly creating a contact for Shiro before sending a message back and shoving his phone away again.

 

**[1:57 PM] It was nice talking to you, too, Matt! We should chat again sometime, if you'd like.**

**[1:58 PM] If not, that's okay! I just enjoyed talking to you since we share a similar career path it seems. You also seem nice.**

**[1:58 PM] I hope that's not weird. Anyway, I hope you make it to lab on time! Good luck!**

 

_[2:01 PM] i made it into the room 1 minute before class started and yeah it was nice talking to you too shiro! ill text you after class :))_

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Shiro saw the message before he heard the notification bell. He hadn't been waiting for a message from the stranger who had texted him, not exactly, but he might have been watching the screen for any notification- Okay, maybe he had been waiting for a message from Matt. He couldn't help it. He enjoyed talking to the guy earlier in the day, even if the initial message had been a mistake. Shiro had made time to talk to him during that time, ignoring his own school work in favor of texting back and forth with the other guy. He really felt like they could be friends, but Shiro didn't want to push it. He hadn't sent any messages while Matt was in lab, but that was mostly because he had aerodynamics class himself and couldn't afford to not pay attention.

So when Matt messaged Shiro that evening, he couldn't help but feel excited. He hadn't really expected the other to really message him back after lab, but Shiro was thankful. Now he could tell Keith and Lance that he was finally being more social and making a new friend.

The details of how he and Matt had met didn't matter, though. Shiro wasn't about to tell his brother and Lance about Matt's mistaken text to him had been about a hot DILF who had smiled at him. So he could tell them he made a friend, and he could tell him that he and Matt were getting to know each other. Since Matt had texted him back, it wasn't a lie.

 

_[4:14 PM] lab is super difficult when your partner wants to talk about their latest date and not focus on the very dangerous chemical concoction steaming in front of your face_

 

Shiro smiled softly, stifling a laugh as he read over the message from Matt. It sounded almost like Matt was paired with one of his friends from classes last semester. Setting aside the book he had been reading through for class, he sent back a reply.

 

**[4:15 PM] Reason #1 why I'm happy I don't have any science labs like that for my degrees. I would be the one who spilled the dangerous chemical concoction on my partner.**

 

_[4:17 PM] ur CLUMSY but youre gonna be a pilot??? isnt that kind of dangerous dude_

 

**[4:17 PM] I can fly a ship ten thousand times my size, but I can't handle small objects like bowls or jars.**

 

_[4:19 PM] bowls or jars.... what do you think chemistry is, some kind of cooking thing? Lol_

 

**[4:21 PM] Is it not... similar?**

 

If Shiro was entirely honest, he knew nothing about chemistry. He knew about physics- even had a minor in it- because he needed to for his degrees, but knowing about chemistry wasn't required knowledge for a NASA pilot. He hadn't bothered taking it after high school since he only needed physics, but telling that to someone with a chemistry degree... probably would be laughable. Matt didn't seem like he'd make fun of him for it, though, so maybe he could express that to him.

 

_[4:23 PM] i am_

_[4:23 PM] appalled_

 

**[4:24 PM] I never took chemistry after high school! I didn't need it for my degrees**

 

_[4:25 PM] okay I GUESS that's a good excuse_

_[4:25 PM] my sister would probably cry even with that excuse she loves chemistry almost as much as she loves engineering I think she almost smacked her best friend for suggesting chemistry was just like painting only with chemicals instead of paints_

_[4:26 PM] I felt really bad for the girl tbh_

 

**[4:28 PM] Trust me, one of my younger brother's friends is the same way. I learned to never bring up my lack of knowledge in chemistry around her.**

 

_[4:29 PM] hahaha omg iconic_

_[4:30 PM] so shiro you talk about your little brother are you the oldest?_

 

Shiro's smile widened. He loved talking about his brother- but more than anything, he loved talking about embarrassing stories involving his brother. It was his favorite past-time, and Keith hated it. He hated any time Shiro would sit down with Lance and start off with “So when Keith was younger” because it would always result in Lance teasing Keith about what Shiro had told him for weeks.

And now Shiro got to tell old stories to someone new.

 

**[4:32 PM] I'm the oldest, yeah! He's my adopted younger brother, but we've been together for so long that the adopted part doesn't matter. I love teasing him.**

**[4:33 PM] And you have a younger sister?**

 

_[4:34 PM] oooohhh yes shes a tiny gremlin. super smart for a 15 year old but then again so was i_

_[4:34 PM] she loves to pick on me and ruin my life but shes also my little sister so i try to ruin her life too_

 

**[4:35 PM] Sounds similar to my brother and I's relationship. I tell his boyfriend and friends terrible stories from when he was younger, so he in turn tries to tell my friends embarrassing stories from when I was younger.**

**[4:36 PM] Joke's on him- I don't have friends. :)**

 

_[4:36 PM] rglshflaehf saaame_

 

Shiro laughed aloud, abruptly cutting off and glancing up as his brother poked his head into his room. Keith gave him a concerned look, looking from him to his phone a few times.

“Why are you laughing at your phone?”

Shiro shrugged, his lips twitching up to a grin. “Maybe I made a friend like you suggested, and he's funny.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “You did?

“Yep.”

With that single word, Shiro watched as Keith darted away from his room. He returned a moment later with Lance, pointing straight at Shiro. “He claims he made a friend.”

Lance's face lit up in glee, and he ran forward toward Shiro with a grin. He bounced down and sat on the bed next to the older man, grabbing his phone in a single movement. Shiro shouted in surprise, his hand darting out and narrowly missing his phone as Lance ran across the room. The teen was scrolling through Matt and Shiro's messages, the grin slowly sliding off his face.

“Dude, this is so boring,” he announced, mostly to Keith as he tilted the phone to show his boyfriend the messages. “All these messages are about school or family!”

“Lance, that's how adults make friends,” Shiro responded, finally snatching his phone back from the teenager. “We talk about boring things and make lunch meetings to talk about more boring things. Boring things like the time Keith thought he was drowning in a puddle when he was 13.”

Keith made a choked sound, groaning and leaving the room as Lance started to snicker at Shiro's words. Shiro sighed as the two left his room and closed his door back, locking it this time, before going back to sit on his bed. He finally saw that Matt had sent another message after Lance had accidentally sent a keysmash message when grabbing Shiro's phone away.

 

**[4:39 PM] kuydgfad;kLSHp98wetgubj!#@L43nk2djf**

 

_[4:41 PM] uhh u ok there?_

 

**[4:58 PM] Sorry. My brother and his boyfriend came in, and they took my phone from me. That must have sent during that. :/**

 

_[4:59 PM] holy shit thats hilarious how old are they?_

 

**[5:01 PM] They're 17, but they act 14 when it comes to putting their noses in my business. Lol**

 

_[5:02 PM] kids do that they just do_

 

Shiro glanced across the room and realized he had yet to touch the stack of papers he needed to grade for one of the classes he was a TA for. He groaned softly, shooting a text back to Matt before pushing himself off his bed and taking a seat at his desk.

 

**[5:03 PM] I just realized I have papers to grade for tomorrow, so I'll message you later tonight, Matt!**

 

_[5:05 PM] shit I have work to do too thanks for reminding me ttyl shiro!_

 

Shiro smiled at Matt's last message before tossing his phone to his bed and getting started on the papers. It wouldn't take him long, he knew that much, but he still had a book to read for one of his classes. With one last sigh, Shiro got to work on grading the papers. Most of the students had answered correctly, but there was at least one or two who put answers that you had to decipher out if it was correct or not. Those were the ones that took longer, but Shiro still finished the papers in an hour.

He took a quick break after getting done with the papers, checking his phone to see no new messages from Matt. (Was it bad he felt a little sad at that? It wasn't like they were best friends who texted each other even when busy.) Taking the time to get dinner from his mother, Shiro read through his book as he ate. It wasn't too interesting, so it took him longer than he would have liked, but by the time he was finished, he noticed his phone light up with a notification.

Grabbing his phone, Shiro set his book aside and opened the message. He couldn't help but grin when he saw that it was from Matt, but he quickly wiped the smile away by reminding himself that this was still someone he barely knew. He shouldn't get so excited by messages from someone he barely knew, but here he was... grinning like a fool when he saw he ad a message from the other man. It was probably a little weird, but Shiro shook the thought away. It was fine. He was making a friend.

 

_[7:47 PM] why do group projects exist for people who are in a graduate studies program I dont want to have to work with some biologist who thinks theyre better than everyone else because they know about human biology_   
_[7:48 PM] like I know about alien biology dude get off ur horse_

 

**[7:51 PM] Maybe he's one of those people who don't believe in aliens, Matt. Apparently they exist.**

 

_[7:52 PM] impossible everyone knows aliens are real_

_[7:52 PM] please tell me youre not a heathen and dont believe in aliens_

 

**[7:54 PM] I believe in aliens; don't worry. I'm just saying they're out there. People who don't believe.**

 

_[7:58 PM] i dont believe you_

 

**[7:58 PM] Trust me, I didn't believe it at first either.**

**[7:59 PM] At least when we work at NASA, we'll have people who believe the truth.**

 

_[8:00 PM] MAYBE well be lucky and get to work with ACTUAL ALIENS!! :DD_

 

**[8:01 PM] If only**

 

_[8:02 PM] I know my dad doesnt tell me a lot of stuff for his work so you never know they might have some kind of men in black shit going on and work next to a bunch of aliens_

 

Shiro snickered at that. Meeting an alien was one of his big goals in life despite how weird it might seem. It was at least one of the reasons he wanted to be a pilot for NASA, and it was also the only reason he never told anyone about. That fact didn't stop him from typing it out to Matt and hitting send.

 

**[8:04 PM] The reason I initially wanted to become a pilot is so I can be one of the first humans to meet an alien. So if NASA employees work alongside aliens, I'll be a little sad but not sad enough to not still love the fact that I'll have met aliens.**

 

_[8:06 PM] thats amazing and i respect that_

_[8:06 PM] i just want to work at NASA so i can keep with the family tradition of working at NASA since dad does and granddad did too_

_[8:07 PM] plus??? aliens?? space?? high tech technology i can work with anytime i want??? sign me up_

 

**[8:09 PM] Now, that, I can respect too. I love the technology they have, and I want to fly those high class rockets. It would be a dream come true.**

 

_[8:10 PM] imagine if we both work at the same section of NASA and get to go on a flight together_

_[8:11 PM] from what youve told me id have to protect my science stuff from you the entire time and id probably have to never set foot on the engineering deck_

_[8:11 PM] because I am terrible with making technology work unless its something sciencey so ship mechanics would probably stop working the instant I got near them_

 

**[8:13 PM] Please don't touch my engineering deck. :( I don't want to spend more time doing repairs on my ship than actually flying it.**

 

_[8:14 PM] trust me id stay as far away as I can the last time I set foot near some sort of mechanical engineering thing I almost died because I blew up and my sister was on a murderous rampage because it was for a school project_

_[8:15 PM] the bad thing is I never even touched the thing_

 

**[8:16 PM] With that type of past, I'm not sure I would want to be on a ship with you. We'd never get off the ground.**

 

_[8:17 PM] im crying youre probably right ;;;-;;;_

 

**[8:19 PM] Don't let the tears fall on my engines.**

 

_[8:20 PM] thats such a savage thing to say_

_[8:20 PM] but what else can I expect from the guy who asked me what a DILF is as a joke_

 

**[8:21 PM] Is that how you're going to introduce me to people if you talk about me?**

 

_[8:22 PM] hell yeah I am that made me panic at first but then it was hilarious to me_

_[8:22 PM] are u gonna introduce me to people as 'the guy who texted u about a hot DILF smiling at him' if you talk about me_

 

**[8:24 PM] To my brother and his boyfriend? No way in hell. To my few friends? Absolutely, yes, Mr. I can't believe a hot DILF smiled at me so I have to text my sister about it**

 

_[8:25 PM] HEY! rood she tells me about cute girls she sees why cant I tell her about the hot guys I see_

 

**[8:26 PM] I don't tell my younger brother when I see cute boys.**

**[8:27 PM] For instance, I saw a very cute man today while on campus, and he blushed when I looked at him. I didn't tell my brother about it because he teases me about cute guys I see.**

 

_[8:27 PM] WAIT YOURE GAY TOO_

 

Shiro blinked at the message, hesitation hitting his nerves as his fingers hovered over the keyboard. He wasn't gay, he was bisexual, but... biphobia was one of those things he had experienced from people he never expected to experience it from. Before Shiro could continue his train of thought, though, another message from Matt popped up on his screen.

 

_[8:29 PM] OR ARE YOU BI/PAN BECAUSE THATS STILL COOL!_

_[8:29 PM] my sister is pan and im gay so its okay with me if youre not straight_

_[8:30 PM] I hope that didnt sound as weird to you as it sounds to me_

 

**[8:31 PM] No, it's okay! I'm bisexual, yeah. I've found myself leaning more toward men lately, though.**

 

_[8:32 PM] hey good for you! Thats hella cool man dw_

 

**[8:32 PM] I'm glad you think so! :)**

**[8:32 PM] Maybe we can give each other advice for how to get the cute guys we saw today. :P**

 

_[8:33 PM] ildsfufad holy heck no man im so bad with romance first off and second off theres no way someone as hot as this guy was would think I was cute_

_[8:33 PM] he had such a strong jaw and looks like he probably goes to the gym every day of the week, at least three times a day_

_[8:34 PM] I am a twig he could snap me in half with a single look_

 

**[8:35 PM] Obviously not if he smiled at you and you're still in one piece.**

 

_[8:36 PM] ok true true okay fair fine_   
_[8:37 PM] I doubt id be able to help you get with the cute guy you saw though because I am terrible at romance advice unless its telling someone how to romance me_

_[8:37 PM] and unless ur a gym rat like this guy looked like I dunno if you could help me get with a guy that buff and hot_

 

**[8:41 PM] I actually do go to the gym daily. I bet I could help you out.**

**[8:41 PM] And the guy I saw was pretty scrawny like you claim to be. :P He also had a NASA button on his bag, so maybe he's a nerd like you.**

 

_[8:42 PM] ok okok shiro first off low blow I am a GEEK not a nerd and second off u want to work at NASA too so shut up_

_[8:42 PM] and third off I bet you that you cant help me but I BET YOU that I might end up not being any help to you how about it_

 

**[8:43 PM] What are we betting?**

 

_[8:44 PM] i dont know, pizza?? i could always use some extra pizza money_

 

**[8:45 PM] Okay, Matt. I'll take you up on that bet. I bet you I can help you, and you can help me. Loser buys the other pizza?**

 

_[8:46 PM] oh youre ON mr takashi “not a stranger anymore now that youve made a bet with me” shiro_

 

**[8:48 PM] Please don't put my name as that in your phone.**

 

**_[8:51 PM] MATT has sent an image._ **

_[8:51 PM] too late dude_

_[8:52 PM] now im going to bed because i have a 6 am lab i cant miss so well start this bet tomorrow night!_

 

Shiro quickly changed Matt's contact name and took a screenshot, sending it along with a goodnight message as well.

 

**_[8:54 PM] You have sent an image._ **

**[8:55 PM] Okay, Mr. Matt “is going to lose the bet” DILF lover**

 

_[8:56 PM] arghtjwryhre OH MY GOD_

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Underline is Pidge/Katie

_[5:03 AM] katie ive made a mistake_

 

Matt rolled out of bed after sending his sister a text, groaning loudly as he just flopped onto the floor. He was not ready for a 6 am lab with his least favorite professor, Professor Iverson, and he sure as hell was not ready to go through with the bet he and Shiro had made last night. If Matt was honest, he regretted making the bet. He truly regretted being a competitive man who could never back down from a bet. It was his downfall for nearly everything. It was how he nearly had a heart attack from drinking 5-hour energy mixed with coffee and a near illegal amount of espresso shots in one sitting in order to make it through all nine finals he had in his first semester of his undergraduate year. It was how he ended up taking nine classes that semester, too.

And now it was going to be how he ended up making a fool of himself in front a very hot guy he was almost certain he would never see again anyway.

Matt felt his phone vibrate against his stomach. He hadn't realized he had fallen on top of his phone when he rolled off bed, but instead of worrying about that, Matt reached under his stomach and pulled out his phone to check what his sister had sent back.

 

[5:06 AM] Why are you texting me at 5 in the morning Matt

 

_[5:09AM] bc I made a mistake and I knew you would be awake come here so I can complain about my mistake to someone who wont judge me_

 

[5:09 AM] Your second mistake is thinking I wont judge you lol

[5:10 AM] omw though

 

Matt let his phone fall onto the floor and dropped his head to rest beside it. He heard the door open and close, quiet despite the fact that Katie and Matt were the only people who lived in this apartment. A second later, Matt felt his sister sit on his back, crossing her legs as she propped herself back against his bed.

“You're suffocating me,” Matt muttered into the carpet.

“If you can talk, you can breath,” Katie replied, reaching down to flick the back of Matt's head.

Matt tilted his head to the side and let out a long, low sigh. Katie finally stood up, pulling herself up to sit on Matt's bed. He rolled over but stayed in the floor, looking up at Katie with a pained expression. His sister raised an eyebrow as she stared at him.

“So what is this big mistake you made? Does it involve the guy you saw yesterday or the guy you accidentally texted?”

Matt grimaced. “Both?”

Katie raised a hand to rub at her face, almost mirroring how their mother did when Matt said something that exhausted her. “Okay, how?”

“I bet the guy I texted that he couldn't help me get with the cute guy I saw and that I couldn't help him with the cute guy he saw,” Matt explained, throwing an arm over his face in a dramatic motion. “And he texted me saying that he bet we could help each other. Loser buys the other pizza.”

“Dude, you just met this guy and don't even know where he lives, and you bet him on pizza?”

“Yes! I know it was a mistake!” Matt finally sat up, dragging himself up to sit on his bed beside his sister. “And now I have to play fair and go along with the bet because you know how competitive I am!”

Katie rolled her eyes, patting Matt on the shoulder before standing up. “Sounds rough, bro. Why don't you just go along with it and try? Maybe it'll turn out well for you both.”

Matt gave her a half-hearted glare as he watched her leave. Maybe she was right and it would turn out well for Shiro and him both. As Matt stood to get dressed, he continued to wonder if maybe it wouldn't be so bad to try. Sure, if Shiro did manage to help him (and he helped Shiro in return), Matt would have to buy him pizza, but that was just a little bit of money. If it turned out that way, Matt would have a hot guy to introduce to his family and kiss and hold hands with and-

Matt shook his head, wiping those thoughts away. No, this couldn't possibly work out in Matt's favor, but maybe he could try his best to make things work out in Shiro's favor. The least he could do was actually try to help his new friend even if Matt was certain he wouldn't be able to help or be helped.

It didn't hurt to try.

Matt finally grabbed his phone from the floor and snatched his bag from his desk, making his way out of the apartment and to his class. He glanced down at the time on his phone and silently cheered. He had just enough time before class to stop and get a quick breakfast from the cafe on campus. He shoved the phone into his pocket and walked down the street, glancing around as he made his way to the cafe.

Glancing around, however, happened to force his gaze to land on the very, very hot guy he had seen on campus the day before. He was jogging down the street in the opposite direction, but that wasn't what Matt noticed. The guy was shirtless. Very shirtless with a very obvious sheen of sweat on his torso. His very chiseled torso. His very chiseled torso that only became covered up at the edge of his hips with loose sweatpants.

Matt could practically feel his heart stop at the sight of DILF guy, but instead of focusing on that, he fumbled to get his phone out as he continued to stare at the hot guy jogging across the street.

 

_[5:36 AM] MAYDAY THE HOT DILF JUST PASSED BY ME AND HES SHIRTLESS AND I THINK IM GOING TO DIE_

_[5:36 AM] SHIRO WHAT DO I DO_

 

Matt stared at his phone, trying hard to not stare at the man jogging, but no messages came through. Shiro was probably still asleep for all Matt knew, but that still didn't help to ease Matt's panic at the sight of the hot guy jogging further away from him. With one final glance to the man, Matt looked at the time again.

He has 10 minutes to make it across campus.

“Shit.”

Matt shoved his phone away, taking off at a sprint to make it to his class on time. He was huffing by the time he was halfway across the school's campus, but he forced himself to keep running. He could not be late to this lab if his life depended on it. Matt couldn't believe that he might be late to his important lab with Iverson jsut because he got distracted by a hot (really hot, in his defense) guy. He was never going to live this down if he was late.

Thankfully, Matt slid into the classroom at the very last second before Iverson slammed the door behind him. Matt whipped around to stare at his instructor, terror obvious on his face. He knew he looked terrified, but that didn't help his need for air to lessen. He was staring into the face of a rage-filled professor as he panted from running so hard for so long.

Finally, he managed to catch his breath long enough to stammer out an apology before being told to go find an open station. Matt nodded, still breathing heavy as he turned to maneuver his way through the lab stations and students to find an open spot. Once he found a spot, he dropped his bag and pulled out his equipment, glancing up to the front as Iverson started to teach, instructing them on how they were to perform the lab today. Matt grimaced as he listened to the instructions, writing them down as the professor spoke. This lab was going to take way too long for his liking, but at least while he was working on the lab, he wouldn't have to worry about the DILF guy. He could just focus on the class, on the lab, and worry about that when he got out of class,

And he did worry about it when he got out of class.

Matt pulled out his phone the instant he was out of the lab room. He had a slew of texts from Katie and Shiro, more from Shiro surprisingly, so he opened up the ones from his sister first to clear them out.

 

[5:42AM] I just saw one of my friends brother run down the street with no shirt on im not sure if he was running from something or working out but it was hilarious

[5:44 AM] He almost ran into the mailboxes in front of the mailbox and I think he heard me laughing because he paused and looked up at the window

[5:45 AM] Oh shit I should have took a video of it and sent it to Keith it was hilarious that would have been perfect blackmail material

[5:45 AM] Like that video I have of you from your last birthday singing happy birthday to yourself and chugging vodka and spitting it out all over your cake

[5:46 AM] Ahh... good times

 

_[9:27 AM] why do you still have that shit katie delete that terrible video its awful_

_[9:28 AM] please I am BEGGING_

 

[9:28 AM] Nah

 

Matt groaned, neglecting to answer his sister. There was no use in arguing with her. She wouldn't delete it if it was the last thing keeping her alive. She hoarded blackmail on anyone she knew, and Katie had a slew of it on Matt.

He shook his head, glancing up to check the street before he crossed it t head to he cafe and finally get something to eat. When he made it to the other side, he opened up the messages from Shiro.

 

**[6:34 AM] Wait, the hot guy? That's so weird. I just got done running, so if he's a morning jogger like me, I know I can help you with him.**

**[6:34 AM] Just casually walk up to him and ask him how he manages to jog so early?**

**[6:35 AM] Or maybe you could very discreetly trip as he passes by you so he can catch you before you fall.**

**[6:36 AM] I know I would catch someone falling around me. I would probably make a joke about it too, so maybe when he catches you, make a joke about falling for him.**

**[6:37 AM] If he laughs, he's a keeper. If he thinks it's weird, ditch him. You don't need someone who won't laugh when you make a bad joke.**

**[6:37 AM] Oh, you had a 6 am today. I forgot about that. That means my advice is a little late, doesn't it?**

 

_[9:31 AM] yea man youre a little late lol_

_[9:31 AM] he was so hot though you should have seen it he just... looked so perfect even though he was covered in sweat and working out_

_[9:32 AM] how does he do it how does he look so perfect my gay little heart cant handle it shiro_

 

**[9:33 AM] You're more dramatic than my brother's boyfriend.**

**[9:33 AM] He's just a person who's hot. :P**

 

_[9:35 AM] u dont understand shiro im very gay and I am very dramatic when I see pretty men I have no chance with_

_[9:35 AM] thats why im single because no one likes that im dramatic_

 

**[9:37 AM] I don't mind that you're dramatic. I was just messing with you.**

**[9:38 AM] I'm kind of the same way, actually. Today I saw the cute guy I saw yesterday. I almost tripped, actually, when I saw him.**

**[9:38 AM] I'm not sure if anyone saw it, but it was a little embarrassing.**

 

Matt snorted, putting his phone away long enough to enter the cafe and order. He found a table to sit at, thankful the place was quiet and empty at this time of the morning, and returned to his phone once more. He took a bite of his biscuit as he sent Shiro another message.

 

_[9:51 AM] dude thats hilarious at least now I know im not the only one here whos going to have more than a little trouble talking to the cute guy in our lives_

 

**[9:52 AM] I'm telling you, Matt. I don't do well around cute guys. Maybe not as bad as you do, but still not well.**

**[9:53 AM] I'm just glad I don't share any classes with him. I might die.**

 

_[9:55 AM] no IIII would DIE if III shared a class with MY hot guy!!_

_[9:55 AM] ud probably be fine honestly id be the one we need to worry about_

_[9:56 AM] id be staring at his arms the whole time instead of paying attention to classmates_

 

**[9:57 AM] You really need to talk to this man. You're going on about his appearance, but you don't know him.**

**[9:58 AM] I'm going to help you manage to talk to him.**

 

_[10:01 AM] gl man I am a wimp and weak for hot guys from afar but close up gives me pain_

_[10:02 AM] im partially happy I dont know what you look like because if you work out you probably have nice arms too and im really weak for those_

 

Matt froze, accidentally hitting send on his last message. He hadn't meant to send that, especially since he really didn't want to see a picture of this person. The anonymity of not knowing what the other looked like was nice, and he was afraid that message would make him seem like he was asking for a picture. He quickly wrote out another message, hoping it would clarify things better.

 

_[10:02 AM] im not asking for a picture I promise dont worry I wouldnt want to send one of myself so im not asking for one from you_

 

Would that work? Matt really hoped so.

He was thankful when he saw another message from Shiro and it wasn't a picture.

 

**[10:04 AM] Don't worry! I don't need to know what you look like. I like talking to you either way.**

 

Matt felt his heart jump at the message, though he had no clue why. He took a breath to steady himself, glancing around to make sure no one was staring at him as he texted hi-

There was the hot guy again. Walking in the door. Matt felt a chill run down his spine.

 

_[10:05 AM] ANOTHER MAYDAY I SEE THE HOT GUY_

 

Matt watched the guy, really wishing he look away just so he didn't feel like he was being creepy. He looked back from the guy to his phone, seeing no message from Shiro. He sent another through.

 

_[10:06 AM] HE IS HERE AND IM FROZEN TO MY SEAT_

 

Matt glanced back up to see the hot guy pull out his phone and smile. Matt felt his heart plummet to the floor at the smile on the man's face. That was very obviously the smile of someone who was seeing a message from someone he cared for. Matt had absolutely no chance at this if the guy smiled at his phone, most likely at a message from someone, with that kind of smile. He looked back to his phone, starting to type out a message when one from Shiro came through.

 

**[10:07 AM] Go talk to him!!!**

 

_[10:07 AM] not a chance I saw him look at his phone and he smiled and he had that in love smile on his face hes probably taken_

_[10:08 AM] imma still admire his looks though, imma still admire_

 

**[10:09 AM] That's too bad, but hey, look on the bright side! Now you didn't have to worry about being rejected since you're already certain he's taken.**

**[10:09 AM] Wait, that came out wrong.**

 

Matt laughed, softly but loud enough for the person at the table beside him to glance over. He avoided eye contact with them and looked back at the messages from Shiro. A smile was on his lips, and Matt silently wondered what he looked like when texting Shiro. He couldn't look like the hot guy had at least, but he probably looked happy. Talking to Shiro was pretty fun, after all.

 

_[10:10 AM] nah I get you_

_[10:10 AM] maybe since I dont have to worry about going after him someone elsell come to me and ill still find a guy after all ;D_

 

**[10:11 AM] You never know. :)**

 

Matt felt his smile widen at the reply. Maybe he didn't know. Maybe someone else would come around some time soon. Matt only needed to wait and see.

 

_[10:12 AM] yeah youre right, ya never know :)_

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Underlined is Pidge, Bold and Underlined is Keith, Italicized and Underlined is Lance, normal is Hunk

Shiro regretting letting Keith add him to his friends' group chat the instant he read the first message.

 

[3:23 PM] So Shiro how's your new friend, the DILF lover?

 

Shiro had met Hunk a few times, and to be honest, he had never expected the kind boy who came to visit Keith and Lance to say something like that to him. Then again, teenagers were strange beats. You never knew what they would say to you.

 

[3:23 PM] Hunk I thought you said I would get to tease him first

[3:23 PM] The poor guy cant even walk without tripping over mailboxes he needs my teasing not yours

 

_ [3:24 PM] Piiiiidge dont teaseee him we just wanted to add him to see what hes up to with his buuuuuuuuuuddy _

 

 

**[3:25 PM] Why did I agree to this? I knew I would get picked on by teenagers by joining this. Why did I allow myself to be part of this situation?**

 

**[3:25 PM] Shiro, please**

 

Shiro set his phone aside, looking back to the book in front of him. He didn't know why he joined the group chat. All they wanted to do was tease him for making a friend- and in Pidge's case, tease him for tripping, weeks ago, over mailboxes. He really had hoped no one had seen it, but sadly, Pidge had been the one who saw it.

It wasn't that he hated Keith's friends, of course. He was just exhausted from all the teasing. It was as if they thought he was talking to a potential boyfriend instead of someone who was just a friend. Yeah, Matt and he had been talking for a few weeks now, getting to know each other and finding more ways in which they were similar or different. It was nice to explore a new friendship, especially one where they clicked so easily into each other's lives. Matt and he texted all the time, but it didn't seem to be effecting their previous schedules at all. At least for Shiro, it hadn't made his school schedule any more difficult than it had been. Talking to Matt was relaxing, easy.

 

 _[3:31 PM] hey so you know about engineering yeah_  
  
Shiro smiled as the message came through. Yeah, talking to Matt was relaxing. It was fun and made him happy, and Shiro enjoyed talking to the other man. It seemed, most of the time, like Matt felt the same, too.

 

**[3:32 PM] I do, yeah. What did you do?**

 

_[3:32 PM] I uh may have just broke my sisters robotic pet_

 

**[3:33 PM] You're... not kidding are you?**

 

_[3:33 PM] I wouldntkid about this kind of thing shiro I broke it an di dont know how to fix it!!_

_[3:33 PM] I am not an engineeerrrr!!!!_

 

**[3:34 PM] Can you send me a picture of it? I can't help if I don't know what it looks like.**

 

_[3:34 PM]_ **Mr. Matt “is going to lose the bet” DILF lover** _has sent a photo._

_[3:34 PM] SHIRO HELP_

 

**[3:35 PM] Okay, first off, your sister built that? That's impressive.**

**[3:35 PM] Second off, you just knocked a wire out of place. Take the red and green one and wrap it around that lone metal rod.**

 

_[3:37 PM] youre a life saver she would have murdered me_

 

**[3:38 PM] I doubt she would have murdered you.**

 

_[3:39 PM]_ **Mr. Matt “is going to lose the bet” DILF lover** _has sent a photo._

_[3:39 PM] you don't know my sister shiro there is still terror in my eyes she would have KILLED me_

 

**[3:40 PM] Is that your eye?**

 

_[3:41 PM] YES!_

 

**[3:42 PM] You're right. It does look very terror filled.**

 

 _[3:43 PM] at least noEQRIHWPTC;O'2K3;ML1'#_  
  
Shiro hesitated, staring at the message with concern. It looked similar to the message he had mistakenly sent Matt a while back, but... more concerning. He went to shoot back a message, but was interrupted by a notification from Pidge in the group chat.

 

[3:44 PM] MY BROTHER BROKE MY PROJECT

 

Huh, that was weird. It was almost like Pidge was talking about the same situation Matt was in. That was impossible, though, but it was a little funny.

 

**[3:45 PM] My new friend broke his little sister's robotic pet a little while ago. I helped him fix it, though.**

 

_ [3:45 PM] **/** eyes emoji **/** Is that so? _

 

**[3:46 PM] Hold on, he texted me back.**

 

[3:46 PM] This is suspicious.

 

Shiro quickly switched back over to the messages with Matt, smiling to see that it was an actual message and not another keysmash.

 

_[3:46 PM] SHE FUCKING TACKLED ME SHE BROKE MY GLASSES SHIRO SHE BROKE MY GLASSES WHEN SHE TACKLED ME_

_[3:47 PM] I FUCKING TOLD YOU SHED KILL ME NOW I HAVE TO SPEND 300$ ON NEW GLASSES!!!!!_

 

**[3:48 PM] Oh no. Maybe try to be more careful when around her robotic projects?**

 

_[3:39 PM] IM ALWAYS CAREFUL AAHHH_

_[3:39 PM]_ **Mr. Matt “is going to lose the bet” DILF lover** _has sent a photo._

_[3:40 PM] LOOK AT THIS SHE SNAPPED MY GLASSES IN THREE HOW DO YOU DO THAT????????????????_  
[3:40 PM] SHES SOME KIND OF MUTATED MONSTER  
[3:41 PM] OR AN EVIL ALIEN OR SOMETHING!!!

 

**[3:42 PM] I know I should feel pity for you, but I can't help but laugh at this because you just... You broke her robotic pet, fixed it, and she still broke your glasses. She's clearly the superior sibling out of the two of you.**

 

_[3:43 PM] Shiro..... how could you I trusted you_

_[3:43 PM] ur suppose to be on my side here how could you betray me... so quickly... so harshly.... I cant believe this... my own NASA friend...._

 

**[3:44 PM] All's fair in love and war, Matt. We may be fellow older brothers, fellow future NASA employees, but I am also an engineer. I stick with people with tech skills.**

 

_[3:45 PM] and to think... I was actually going to try to help you plan a way to talk to that cute guy you see around all the time today... to think.... I was going to try to be a good friend t you :((_

 

**[3:45 PM] Don't stop now. You can still help me. :P**

 

_[3:46 PM] i dunno shiro i really dont know_

 

**[3:48 PM] I'm heading to the cafe now, though. You can't back out of the plan if I haven't yet.**

 

Shiro chuckled, picking up his bag for the gym. In the past few weeks since Matt had decided he had no chance with the cute guy he had seen, he had actually been trying to help Shiro with his cute boy. So far, Shiro still hadn't been able to get close enough to actually start a conversation with him, but after weeks of frequenting the cafe on campus, he had realized the cute guy was always there around 4 pm on Thursdays. He hadn't really meant to notice it (and he really didn't like that he felt creepy for actually noticing it), but after one too many heart attacks at noticing the cute guy in the corner, texting on his phone, Shiro had realized it was always the same time and day they ended up going to the cafe to study.

If Shiro noticed the other times they happened to be in the cafe at the same time, that was okay too. He couldn't help but notice when the other guy was around him, and while he didn't message Matt every time about it, they had made a plan for Shiro to finally talk to the guy. It was going to take a lot of courage, but he was going to try.

Trying was all Shiro was sure he could do, though. He really didn't think he would actually muster up the courage to form any words around the guy. He tried to go over what he wanted to start off with in his head as he walked to the cafe, checking his phone for any messages from Matt. Nothing showed from Matt, though the group chat was blowing up with messages from Pidge and Hunk. Most of it was about some conspiracy theory concerning Shiro, though he had no idea what it could be. He just shrugged it off and focused on building up the nerves he needed for this.

Finally, the cafe came into sight, and Shiro had the undeniable urge to turn around and go back home. He knew he needed to go through with this- it might turn out well for him. He might be stressing over nothing at all, but... He might end up in a similar situation to Matt and find out the guy he likes has someone else too.

Shiro shook his head, clearing away that thought. He pushed open the door, bracing himself for the sight of the mystery guy. He glanced around, trying not to appear like he was looking for him specifically, and noticed he wasn't there. A small frown formed on Shiro's lips, but he forced himself to not get disappointed. Maybe he was just early and the mystery man was running late. It was fine.

After ordering, Shiro found a seat and pulled out his phone.

 

_[4:03 PM] sorry my sister is dragging me to the coffee shop for some reason really hope its not to kill me there but dunno if ill be able to help if she keeps this up_

_[4:04 PM] just go with the plan we made!!! u got this shiro!!!_

 

Shiro started to type out a reply when he heard the door's bell ding as it opened. His head whipped up and... there he was. Shiro felt his heart leap into his throat, his anxiety spiking with the sight of the guy he wanted to finally talk to. He only noticed a second later that there was another person with the guy. Shiro's heart tightened slightly before he realized he recognized the other person.

That was Pidge.

His mind was running a mile a minute. How did Pidge know the cute guy? Why was she hanging out with a college student? Why was she on his college campus? Okay, but _how did Pidge know the cute guy?_ If Pidge was here, there was no way Shiro was going to get to talk to the cute guy.

Shiro did the only thing he could think of to do- he picked up his coffee and made a bee-line for the door.

Only to be shouted at by Pidge.

A small grimace formed on his lips as he turned around, but he quickly pushed it away to smile at his brother's friend. He saw her wave at him from the line and knew he would have to go over there. Shiro forced himself not to look at the cute guy- the cute guy very obviously looking at him with a mix of horror and surprise. Okay, that was a little painful to see on his face. It was probably nothing, so Shiro just made his way over to Pidge and the guy.

“Hey, Keith's brother!” Pidge greeted, her lips spread into a shit eating grin.

Shiro didn't like that look, and he definitely didn't like that she wasn't referring to him by his name like she usually did.

“Hey... Keith's friend,” he greeted back, a hint of confusion in his voice.

Pidge motioned to the guy beside her. “This is my brother!” The grin on her lips didn't lessen at the look of terror on her brother's face.

Shiro managed to slide his gaze over to Pidge's brother and smile at him. “Hey. It's nice to meet you. I'm-”

“Leaving!” Pidge interrupted.

Shiro's head whipped back toward the teenager, opening his mouth to question her. Instead, he was cut off again as she waved at him.

“Bye!”

Shiro stood there silently for a moment, blinking at the teenager and her brother, before finally turning around and leaving the cafe like he was planning on doing.

That was.... very weird.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Underlined is Pidge, Bold and Underlined is Keith, Italicized and Underlined is Lance, normal is Hunk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot (lot) more dialogue instead of texting in this chapter, but that's mostly because this chapter is when things... happen. :3c

Matt honestly had no idea what his sister was doing. First she pulls over the very hot guy he had been eyeing a few weeks back, then she introduces him just as 'my friend's older brother,' and then forces the hot guy to leave. Not only that, but she cut him off when he tried to tell Matt his name. His name! That was something Matt, even if he was certain he never would have a chance to get with the hot guy, would have loved to know!!! But Katie whisked that opportunity away like she was their mother on a school night, taking away their 3DSes!

Matt had never felt more betrayed by his sister than he had in that moment, and if he was honest, he wasn't sure if he would ever forgive her. He told her that, too. She looked at him from the other side of the table, pausing as she moved her muffin toward her mouth. Katie grinned and moved the muffin aside.

“You'll forgive me soon. I have a plan,” she said, an ominous tone in her voice. That was always a terrible sign.

With a huff, Matt looked away from her and pulled out his phone. There was an unopened message from Shiro.

 

**[4:12 PM] I most definitely did not have it, Matt. :/ I didn't get the chance to talk to him, anyway, because his sister was there. Apparently he's my brother's friend's brother. Talk about ironic.**

 

_[4:34 PM] ok ok thats so weird because katie and i ran into the guy I thought was hot a few weeks ago today and hes my sisters friends older brother_

 

**[4:36 PM] Talk about ironic. I can't believe both of the guys we think are cute are related to friends of our siblings.**

 

_[4:37 PM] IKR!!! like its kinda creepy but its also so??? weird??????_

 

**[4:38 PM] You're telling me. The guy looked kind of scared to see me, too. I felt a little bad, like maybe I don't look as friendly as I try to be?**

 

Matt's lips quirked up into a grin, catching the eye of his sister instantly. He glanced up when she cleared her throat, his smile disappearing instantly at the look on her face.

“What is that look for?”

“Who ya textin'?”

Matt narrowed his eyes, slowly sliding his phone out of Katie's reach. “No one.”

“With a grin like that, I doubt it's no one,” Katie responded, leaning across the table in an attempt to grab Matt's phone.

Matt moved it further from her reach, pushing his bottom lip out in a pout. “It's just my friend I made.”

“You two still talk, huh? Did you happen to tell him about how you broke Rover today?”

Matt flinched at the tone in her voice, but the look in his eyes was far more terrifying. He slowly lowered his phone, lowering his guard with it as he answered. “Yeah, I did. He was actually the one who helped me fix Rover enough for him to start making noises again.”

“Is that soooo?”

Katie's grin widened as she quickly lept forward and grabbed Matt's phone from his hand. Matt bit back a shout, trying not to cause a scene as he scrambled from his seat to follow his now running sister. He noticed one of the workers glaring at him as he bolted after her. Unfortunately, she had gone to the only place he couldn't follow, so Matt was left staring at the outside of the women's bathroom's door. He groaned, banging his forehead against the doorframe.

“Kaaaatiiiiiie,” he groaned, loud enough for her to hear inside. “Why are you doing this to me? He's just my friend. I thought you WANTED me to make friends!”

“I did!” she shouted back, laughter tinting her voice. “And you've made a friend you liiiiiike!”

“Of course I like him! We're friends!”

“Mattie liiiiiikes a boy!” she yelled, cackling along with her teasing tone.

Finally, Katie pushed the door open. Matt snapped his hand up to grab his phone, but she was already holding it out with a smirk. He narrowed his eyes and quickly pulled up his messages.

 

_[4:49 PM] Hey, this is Katie, Matt's sister I wanted to say thank you for being such a good friend to my brother_

_[4:50 PM] He really has been a lot happier and smiling at his phone more when you text him, and I think its great that you make him so happy_   
_[4:51 PM] From your messages it makes it seem like he makes you happy too but its great that your brothers friends older brother is the guy you think is cute I think you should try to get something set up via your brother and his friend because itll be good for you!_

_[4:51 PM] Good luck!_

 

“I cannot believe you would do this to me.”

“I'm your little sister,” she replied, shrugging as she walked back to their table. “I'm suppose to be a little shit.”

Matt groaned, sulking his way back to the table to grab his things. Katie was grinning as they left the cafe, but Matt was more concerned with his phone.

 

**[4:54 PM] Um... Thank you for the encouragement?**

 

_[4:58 PM] ia m so sor r y_

_[4:58 PM] i dont know why she did that am so sorry_

 

**[4:59 PM] It's okay! I don't mind. I might take her up on the advice.**

**[5:01 PM] And it is nice to know I make you happy when we talk. :)**

 

_[5:02 PM] QLIUFGWEOIHEW_

_[5:03 PM] YEAH! YEP! SO IM GONNA GO WHILE WERE WALKING HOME TTYL SHIRO :)))_

 

**[5:04 PM] Oh, okay! Talk to you later, Matt!**

 

Matt quickly flipped back to his messages to find a group chat he didn't remember being in. He furrowed his brow as he scrolled through the messages. He knew these were Katie's friends from their last names since she had known them for so long, but he didn't know who 'Shirogane' was.

“Who is this?” Matt questioned, turning his phone to Katie to show her.

“Keith's brother!”

“Huh, his name is a little similar to my friend's.”

“How about that.”

Katie's tone was even, but Matt knew there was something up. Instead of questioning her, he decided to message the group.

 

_[5:09 PM] hey so I dont know why my sister put me here but hey_

 

_[5:09 PM] HEY!!! IT'S THE HOLT 1.0!_

 

_[5:10 PM] oh hey lance_

 

**[5:10 PM] Pidge, is this your older brother?**

 

That was the hot guy they had met in the cafe earlier, wasn't it? Pidge's friend's older brother. Matt felt his brain short circuit as he somehow managed to type out a reply.

 

_[5:11 PM] heeeeeeeeeeeeeeey yeah,,,,, I am indeed the one you call pidges older brother, aka Holt 1.0 the original Holt sibling_

 

**[5:11 PM] Oh! You're the one I ran into at the cafe with Pidge, right?**

 

_[5:12 PM] uuuuuuuuuuuuuhhuuuh yup sure was sorry if I seemed weird I was surprised to know my sister has friends with such hot older brothers ;)_

 

Matt regretted his message the moment he heard his sister snort beside him. He grimaced, choosing to ignore her in favor of the hot guy as they finally entered their apartment.

 

**[5:13 PM] I suppose I could say the same in your case. :P**

 

_[5:13 PM] this is so gay I might cry_

 

[5:14 PM] Lance, you're kind of gay too

 

_ [5:14 PM] fair point hunk fair point _

 

_[5:15 PM] soooooo why was I added to this anyway_

_[5:15 PM] aside from to be given a chance to embarrass my sister /eyes emoji/_

 

**[5:16 PM] I think Pidge added you so you and my brother can meet. I think she thinks you know each other somehow**

 

**[5:16 PM] We go to the same university, and we see each other around campus. That's kind of it.**

 

[5:17 PM] Jfc youre both oblivious

 

Matt huffed in annoyance. “I am not oblivious, Katie.”

His sister looked over at him, raising an eyebrow before looking back to her phone.

 

[5:18 PM] Matt claims hes not oblivious

 

**[5:19 PM] Wait... Your name is Matt?**

 

Matt felt his chest tighten. He didn't like the tone Keith's brother had in that message. It almost seemed like disappointment, and that wasn't something Matt dealt with well. He stared at the message, noticing how the others had gone eerily silent at that message. Matt's eyes flickered over to Katie, noticing her staring right back at him. Her lips were, strangely, not quirked up in a smirk. She looked oddly serious, only adding onto Matt's anxiety.

Finally, he took a breath and typed out a message.

 

_[5:23 PM] yeah my name's matt why whats up_

 

**[5:24 PM] Nothing! I just have a friend named Matt as well. :)**

 

Suddenly, there was a notification for another message. Matt glanced up and saw it was from Shiro. He grinned, the anxiety from the awkward encounter with Katie's friend's brother melting away instantly.

 

**[5:24 PM] So I think I'm going to give up on my cute guy like you did.**

**[5:25 PM] Take a page out of Mr. DILF lover's book.**

 

_[5:26 PM] first off rood and second off why????_

 

**[5:27 PM] I've realized that I only liked him for his looks. There's some one else I think I might like instead, actually.**

 

_[5:28 PM] aayyyyyyyye whats good thats great for you do you know their name what are they like_

 

**[5:28 PM] He's a giant nerd. I enjoy talking to him. :)**

 

_[5:29 PM] oh booo that tells me nothing I need the dirty deets shiro you gotta spill_

 

**[5:30 PM] Nope! It's my secret to keep for now.**

 

_[5:30 PM] dude no fair_

_[5:31 PM] well IIIIIIIIIIIIII might get the chance to get to know DILF guy because my sister decided to put me in a group chat with him and her friends_

 

**[5:32 PM] Is that so? Good for you! :)**

 

_[5:33 PM] its scary how similar you sound to my sister when she knows something I dont I feel like I need to be worried /eyes emoji/_

 

**[5:34 PM] No, there's nothing to worry about! I do need to go, though. I have a few things I need to do tonight. Bye, Matt!**

 

_[5:36 PM] oooooooooooookaaaaaaay shiro whatever u say ttyl!_

 

Matt shrugged off the weird feeling he had and just checked the group chat to notice no new messages. He frowned, deciding to not worry about it and just work on school work. You could never get too far ahead in classes, after all. So Matt spend the night doing his school work, passing out around 2 in the morning.

Thankfully, he managed to wake up before classes started. The only problem was that Matt woke up only twenty minutes before classes started. He jumped from his bed in a flurry of papers and clothes, forcing his work into his bag so he could make it out the door on time. He was in such a rush that he didn't notice the nasty storm clouds above his head until he was half-way across campus.

He only noticed because of a raindrop landed on his nose when he paused to catch his breath.

Matt looked up to the sky, cursing as a crack of thunder sounded and lightning streaked across the sky. He took off running again, hearing the rain start to fall before he felt it. He pushed himself to run faster, not wanting to show up to class soaking wet. He felt the rain start to seep through his jacket, and he knew he wasn't going to make it to class on time. With one final push, Matt dashed under one of the gazebos on campus.

He only noticed a second later that he wasn't the only person taking refuge under this gazebo.

Matt really needed to start paying more attention.

“Hey,” he started, turning to the person. “Sorry. I didn't notice someone else was-” Matt stopped as he finally faced the other person.

It was the hot guy.

The hot guy who was currently smiling at him like he wasn't a bother at all.

Matt REALLY needed to start paying more attention.

He opened his mouth to apologize again when the guy spoke. “It's okay! You're Matt, right? Pidge's brother?”

Matt nodded, not sure he would be able to speak even if he tried now. The hot guy remembered his name. Now that Matt thought about it, though, he didn't seem to actually catch anything but the guy's last name. Somehow, he managed to stammer that out.

“Y-yeah, that's me. I don't think I caught your name, though?”

The hot guy's lips twisted into a grin that made Matt's heart nearly jump from his chest. If he wasn't afraid of looking weird, he probably would have had to clutch his chest at the sight of the guy smiling like that.

“My name's Takashi, actually.”

Matt was sure his heart had fully stopped. He let out a small laugh, though he was sure he sounded entirely awkward. “That's funny. You're, uh, the second Takashi I've met!”

“And you're the second Matt I've met,” was the hot guy's- Takashi, his name is Takashi just like Shiro's is, Matt told himself- response.

“That's pretty ironic, huh?” Matt swallowed, trying to quiet the thoughts coming to the front of his mind.

This had to be a... terrible coincidence. There was no way Takashi and Shiro were the same person. There was no way Matt could have been walking around the same campus with and sending texts to Shiro ABOUT Shiro, right? That would make his life a living, breathing version of a bad fanfiction. There was no way he was standing right in front of the very guy he had been talking to about himself. There was no way Shiro was-

“As ironic as the fact that we never noticed we were talking to each other about each other.”

Shiro was Takashi.

Matt was sure he was dreaming.

“You're... You're Shiro, aren't you?”

Matt was hesitant in saying the words. He was hesitant in looking up to the man before him. He was still hesitant when he saw the smile on Shiro's lips soften. His hesitation didn't falter until he saw the man in front of him nod in response to his question. His hesitation didn't disappear until he heard Shiro's voice properly answering his question.

“Shirogane Takashi, at your service,” was Shiro's response, leaning down in a mock of a bow. “It's nice to finally see your face close up, Matt Holt.”

The only sound around them was the rainfall as Matt stared at Shiro, every ounce of terror he had felt and expressed falling away from his features. He felt his expression shift, a small smile taking the place of his shocked frown.

“I guess I could say the same to you,” Matt answered, breaking the silence around them, “Takashi.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is SUPER short, and I'm only trying to post it up quick so I can work on my DC comics superhero AU for Shatt (and maybe start on my super hero/villain shatt au too?)

Okay, Shiro wasn't freaking out. He wasn't freaking out over the sudden realization that the cute guy who was Pidge's brother was also the guy he had been talking to for the past few weeks. He totally wasn't freaking out over the fact that Matt thought he was hot as much as he though Matt was hot. Shiro TOTALLY was not freaking out over any of those things, and that was a solid fact.

Except he was freaking out, and he would be lying if he tried to actually say he wasn't.

So Shiro did what was probably the best thing to do and made an excuse to not talk to Matt for the rest of the night. He had, instead, spent the night with his phone turned off and with a text book open in front of him. It kept him distracted, but it also exhausted him entirely. He read until his eyes hurt, and then Shiro had gone to sleep.

Unfortunately, his body still wanted to wake up extremely early in the day. He had groaned and gotten dressed, not looking forward to turning his phone back on. He knew he couldn't just ignore Matt or avoid him- Matt was his friend and he liked him. Shiro liked him... a lot. He probably liked him more than he was willing to admit at this point in their relationship, but Shiro was certain that he liked Matt- as a friend. It was totally just as a friend.

So he left his room, walking across campus and regretting his decision the moment it started to rain. Quickly, he had ducked under a gazebo in order to wait the rain out.

Okay, so he had time to think at least. He was bound to run into Matt at some point soon, but Matt still hadn't figured it out, had he? Did Shiro want Matt to know? Did Shiro even want to be sure about it and accept that he'd been talking to the guy he thought was cute who also happened to be talking to him about the guy he thought was cute- who just so happened to be the guy he was talking to.

That was a headache to think about, but Shiro knew he needed to figure this out. He liked Matt. He liked him, his face, and his personality, and he knew that Matt liked his looks, but did Matt like him as a person? Would Matt even want to keep talking to him when he found out who he was? Surely he would- especially since he had told Shiro last night that he was going to try to talk to and get to know the DILF guy... aka Shiro. So this should be fine. Shiro could tell Matt, talk to Matt... get together with Matt? If Matt wanted to, that is. If Matt just so happened to dash under the gazebo Shiro was under, Shiro could push himself into telling him.

And somehow, that was exactly what he had done. Shiro couldn't help himself when he saw the unmistakable mop of brown duck under the cover of the roof above them. Shiro had revealed who he was and Matt had smiled back to him- he had taken it well, and Shiro couldn't be more pleased.

Shiro took that back. Matt called him Takashi, and that was what had made his heart beat faster. That was what had made Shiro more pleased than anything else. He hadn't been able to help himself in his movements- it was like his body moved on its own. Shiro took a step forward, lifting his right hand to cup Matt's cheek. Matt's eyes widened, and Shiro almost stepped away again, afraid he'd done something wrong. Instead, he locked eyes with Matt and saw no shock or disgust in his gaze. Matt looked up at Shiro with pure joy, and Shiro felt his heart jump when Matt's arms snaked around his shoulders, one of Matt's hands grasping the back of Shiro's head and pulling him down.

Matt pushed his lips against Shiro's and the taller man was sure his heart was going to explode. He felt the pressure from their joined lips, and he relished in the feeling of Matt's lips against his own. The happiness flowing through his body pushed aside the thoughts of 'maybe we're moving too quickly' and 'maybe we should have talked before this.' Though, it seemed like he wasn't the only one thinking those things.

Matt pulled away from the kiss, and Shiro nearly followed his lips instead of letting the kiss end. His eyes shot open a second later, realizing what he was doing. Instead of being met with a potential annoyance on Matt's face, he saw a smile. Shiro's brain almost short-circuited at the sight of such a pure smile. He blinked, sure that he must look-

“You look ridiculous,” Matt finally said, confirming Shiro's own thoughts. “But shit, you can kiss.”

Shiro's shocked expression slid away as a laugh bubbled up in his throat. The hand cupping Matt's cheek slid down to his shoulder as Shiro chuckled and leaned his forehead against Matt's.

“Maybe if we were less oblivious, you could have figured that out earlier,” Shiro finally muttered, leaning away from Matt to look at him again. “And I could have figured out that you really are as scrawny as you claim. Look at this arm.”

Shiro squeezed Matt's upper arm, gaining a half-betrayed look from the man in front of him. “Okay, rude! Not all of us can be buff and fit like you!”

“You mean not all of us can be a DILF, right?” Shiro's grin widened into a smirk at the utterly betrayed look on Matt's face. He quickly pressed a quick kiss to Matt's down-turned lips- only to freeze the second he did it.

He pulled back to look at Matt, noting the flush of pink across his cheeks. “Is it okay if I do that?”

Matt nodded, probably a little quicker than he meant to, and Shiro felt his heart clench at the sight. Matt was hot- that much Shiro knew from seeing him from afar- but he was gorgeous when he was flustered, and that was something Shiro could get use to seeing. He almost kissed Matt again, but Shiro managed to refrain himself. He swallowed, watching as Matt's eyes followed the bob of his adam's apple and his cheeks turned pinker. Okay, just talking was going to be harder than Shiro thought.

Finally, Shiro managed to speak. “We should probably talk this out.”

Matt's eyes darted up to meet Shiro's. His cheeks were still pink, but the slight haze in his eyes cleared up. “You mean talk about the fact that the first time we properly meet face-to-face and realize who the other is, we end up making out?”

Now it was Shiro's turn to turn red. He opened his mouth to stutter out a response, but Matt's laugh cut him off.

“I don't mind, Takashi.” Shiro's heart jumped again. “I can call you Takashi, right? It's not weird since I've been calling you Shiro since we met?”

“N-no, it's okay! Shiro is just a nickname based off my family name. I'm Japanese, and we usually go by our family names until we're close to someone. First names are for people we're really close to, and...” Shiro swallowed the lump in his throat, a smile sliding easily onto his lips. “I like hearing my given name coming from your lips.”

Matt laughed, thought really it could be called a giggle, and leaned up to press a soft kiss against Shiro's lips. It caused a spark to travel up Shiro's spine, pushing him to deepen the kiss himself. Matt's arms seemed to tighten around Shiro's shoulders, the hand holding the back of Shiro's head pushing him closer. Shiro slid his hands down to Matt's hips, pulling Matt as closely against his body as he could. Shiro felt like he needed more, needed to be closer to Matt.

Until he realized they still hadn't actually talked about anything.

Shiro slowly pulled his lips away, his breathing slightly rough.

“Okay, but we really should talk this out.”

Matt blinked, his eyes darting between Shiro's lips and eyes before finally closing. He blew air from his mouth slowly before opening his eyes again. “Yeah, you're ri-”

Matt froze. Shiro pulled away, giving him a concerned look. “Hey, are you alright?”

“What time is it?”

Shiro suddenly recalled that Matt had a class at this time of the day. He quickly pulled his phone out and showed Matt the time.

**_8:21_ **

Shiro had never seen someone look so panicked so quickly. Matt yelled, surprising Shiro at how loud he was, and quickly darted out from under the gazebo.

“I'll text you later!” was shouted back to Shiro as Matt ran through the rain to his classroom.

Shiro couldn't help but feel a little guilty from making Matt late for class, but the lingering taste of Matt on his lips pushed the guilt to the back of his mind.

 


End file.
